Currently Browsing: Caran D’Ache Neocolor II 7 articles
Mixed Media Portrait on Toned Paper
If you’re going to play around with mixed media I encourage you to seek out toned papers. The strokes and values you achieve on the toned background make a fun departure from white paper. This sketch of an Earth’s World Fairgoer (who was wearing black lipstick) is in a hand bound journal I made with […]
Mixed Media View of the Backyard: Expanding Your Visual Vocabulary
It’s always a great idea to take a moment and look out the window. Our neighbors at the back of our yard have a lush growth of ferns at this time of the year. I turned the page in my journal and sketched on this pre-painted background—the verso page background was in the same vein […]
Neocolor II or KingArt Artist Mixed Media Gel Sticks?
If you’ve been following along this past few weeks you’ll know that I used some “stick” media in my 2026 International Fake Journal Month Journal. And that led to questions, which led to a discussion, which led to me making some videos about Caran d’Ache Neocolor II Water-soluble Wax Pastels (CANII) here. And also this […]
Sketching with Neocolor II Water-soluble Wax Pastels—Doodle of a Chicken
Today’s post is all contained in the video below. In this video I discuss how to transfer a drawing using graphite transfer paper; build up a color sketch from my transferred doodle using Neocolor II water-soluble wax pastels; discuss different ways I use this art material; and provide a lightfastness chart. I’ve come back to […]
Addendum: International Fake Journal Month Supplies 2026
A question about the supplies I used for my 2026 International Fake Journal Month journal in the comments section of a previous post made me realize I had not included the supply photos. They were supposed to be in a separate post before the main fake journal post! (I simply forgot to post that post! […]
Piecemeal Style Portrait of Two Dogs
Today’s sketch is one of my favorites of my year so far. I made it using a Sktchy muse photo for inspiration and in the photos of my working process you’ll be able to see how I pull a photo up on my iPad and position the iPad to work, whether at a drawing table […]
What Do I Do To Unwind After Teaching?
Left: Sketch of a Mandrill (a species of Baboon found in Western Africa). 11 x 14 inch Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media hardcover journal. Background pre-painted with sepia and English Red acrylics. Sketched with Pentel Pocket Brush Pen. Color: NeoColorII (wet and dry) and gouache (the white muzzle and other areas). The paper bent a […]